Friday, May 10, 2013

Whether you're new to cooking or a secret master chef just waiting to unleash your delicious recipes on the unsuspecting world of eaters, I believe that everyone should learn some basic cooking skills. If you've got a bit of time on your hands, what better way to fill it than learning to cook new and exciting recipes? There are many tools out there that will show you how to cook the perfect meal and, with no shortage of great courses in Britain and Ireland, there are so many different ways the absolute novice or the aspiring chef can learn to perfect their craft. This month, I caught up with lovemycourse to find out more about learning to cook and to get some ideas about the most popular cooking trends this year.

1: Babaduck: Other than taking a cookery class, what can budding cooks do to brush up on their skills?lovemycourse: If you are the type of person who finds it easy to follow step by step information via a video, watching instructional cooking channels can be really helpful. These are ideal for introducing you to new recipes and are a good opportunity to brush up on your skills with expert instruction.

We’ve noticed that swapping recipes with friends via Twitter and Facebook or any other social media platform is a popular way of getting inspirational ideas too and really reinforces the idea of togetherness in the kitchen.

There are also lots of recipe websites out there that offer suggestions from blogs that feature cooking and recipes. Blogs can be really interactive because they allow you to view and share comments and recommendations with other people who have tried the recipes themselves and have added their own twists to them. Many of our students also share recipes and pick up new ideas from apps they have downloaded to their smartphone or tablet.

2: Babaduck: What are the big trends in cooking to look out for?

lovemycourse: Cooking is an art form and as more and more people are willing to experiment with new ideas and learn from other cultures, it will evolve and trends will become more diverse.

Foraging and wild cookery is becoming very popular as people want to discover the wild foods that are safe, and they feel that by going back to basics they are able to provide healthy alternatives to the food they love whilst losing weight and saving money. Foraging gives students the chance to collect and process wild fruits into sauces, jams and jellies; prepare wild game; and learn different cooking techniques such as plank cooking and grilling, amongst other things. This is becoming a trend because people want to go back to basics and know what they are eating.

Cooking with the family is another favourite thing to do at the moment and as such, the courses and workshops that involve children have become quite popular because they allow the whole family to learn new skills whilst bonding with each other.

We’ve also got a raw food cookery course called ‘Cooking for Love’ which is another winner. Many people are becoming raw food enthusiasts thanks to the trend for eating healthy food. Unsurprisingly, this course is especially popular around Valentines Day. Attendees learn how to make a whole dinner of raw food, including raw chocolate, known to stimulate serotonin production (the feel good hormone) and have an aphrodisiac effect!

Survival cooking for youngsters is also really on trend as more and more parents insist that their children and teenagers learn really useful skills for life – especially if they’re about to go away to uni. These types of courses involve menu planning, knife skills, how to eat well on a budget and how to prepare easy meals that are tasty and quick.

3: Babaduck: Finally where can we find out more about cookery classes?

lovemycourse: There are loads on lovemycourse in a variety of different locations, including a large number in London. Or, if you’re after some suggestions, follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook. We regularly run competitions on Facebook so if you have a great picture of your most prized recipe/meal, inbox us and we will share it with our members.

So there you have it – 2013 is the year for foraging, feasting with the family and finding other foodies on Facebook. Have you taken a cookery course? Would you recommend it? Tell me more below.

This is a sponsored guest post

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Aoife - Babaduck

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About Me

Babaduck started life in 2010 to show one friend (Mrs. T) what to make for dinner, step by step and it's grown ever since.
I love writing about all aspects of food and drink, including creating simple easy to follow recipes with lots of photos, restaurant and product reviews, lots of food news and as much travel as I can cram in. I'm a self-confessed Francophile and love almost everything about la belle France, especially the wine. The Hubs is my beloved other half who taste tests all the recipes on your behalf and keeps me on an even keel.
So where did the name come from? The Hubs inspired the name - he calls me Baba & his friends call him The Duck. Simples.

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